U.S. Army and Ducks Unlimited Partner for Conservation

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 10, 2006 – Ducks Unlimited will soon help conserve wetlands and associated habitats on key areas of the Army’s 16.5 million acres of land, thanks to an agreement signed July 7.

“We welcome this opportunity to conserve habitat and help the Army at the same time,” said Dr. Jim Hulbert, president of Ducks Unlimited.

At a special ceremony at the Pentagon Friday, Ducks Unlimited (DU) President Jim Hulbert, and Executive Vice President Don Young signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of the Army (Army). The agreement makes DU an official partner in the Army’s Compatible Use Buffers (ACUB) Program.

“This partnership is a perfect match for the kind of habitat restoration work that DU does throughout North America,” said Young. “We’ve already identified several high priority areas where key waterfowl habitats overlap with the Army’s lands. These are just a few of the potential projects that we plan to implement thanks to our new partnership.”

Through ACUB, these conservation areas will provide key habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife, while establishing buffers zones for military installments, maximizing security and minimizing encroachment on Army testing, training and operations.

The Army owns, manages or administers approximately 16.5 million acres of land on installations across the United States.

With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest wetlands and waterfowl conservation organization. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands – nature’s most productive ecosystems – and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.